Pre-emptive barricades choke city stretch

T'puram: Pre-emptive barricading ahead of protests near state police chief's office at Vellayambalam-Vazhuthacaud stretch, which is one of the city's busiest junctions and a hub of key govt institutions is disrupting daily life, with commuters bearing the brunt of early traffic restrictions.Traffic is often diverted up to two hours before scheduled protests, blocking key stretches including Manaveeyam Veedhi during peak morning hours. Commuters say the early closures, rather than the protests themselves, are causing delays. Small business owners also say the restrictions are affecting their operations. Lakshmi A S, a resident of Thirumala who runs a fancy jewellery shop in Pettah, said frequent barricades are disrupting deliveries. "I often get stuck there due to sudden barricading. By the time I find alternate routes, there are long delays, making it difficult to meet delivery commitments and affecting my business," she said. Reshma G, a resident of Plavilla who runs a home-based bakery and another outlet in Pettah, said the impact extends beyond the main road. "It affects our delivery schedules badly. During protests, vehicles are diverted through byroads, which then get heavily congested," she said. Police, however, maintain that the measures are necessary for safety and crowd control in a high-sensitivity zone. An officer with the city traffic wing said advance information about protests allows authorities to mobilise personnel and initiate barricading early as part of safety preparations. ACP (traffic) R Suresh said diversion is a standard protocol during protests and gatherings are not permitted directly in front of DGP's office. "The foremost protocol is to divert traffic where the dharna is taking place. If any untoward incident occurs, we are answerable to the court. If we receive prior information, we will intimate public through the media. Our job is to protect both commuters and protesters," he said.
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